College Football is right around the corner and I will look to continue my College Previews with a look at the Big 10 Legends Division. Here are the current Odds (Courtesy of BetOnline) for the Legends Division this year: Michigan (+100); Nebraska (+250); Michigan State (+325); Northwestern (+1500); Iowa (+1500); Minnesota (+5000).
Last year I had the Michigan State Spartans winning the Big 10 Conference and they came up just short in losing to the Wisconsin Badgers in the very first Big 10 Championship game. This year they have a tough task at making it back to the Big 10 Title game as both Michigan and Nebraska are poised to take the Legends title from them. Overall this year I am expecting a Wisconsin/ Michigan Big 10 Title game, with the Badgers taking it in the end. Let’s take a look at how I see the Legends Division shaping up this year.
Legends Division
Michigan: The Wolverines went 11-2 last year and beat Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl and they may even be a bit better this year. Their offense will be one of the most potent in the Big 10 with D-Rob back and a rock solid OL. They need a top WR to step up, but still this group should eclipse the 33 ppg they put up last year. Defensively the have hole in their line, but the secondary is top notch and they could equal the 17.4 ppg and 322 ypg they allowed last year. Road dates vs Nebraska and OSU will be tough, but still in the end I expect Michigan to move on to the Big 10 Title game. KEY TREND—5-0 ATS the week before playing Minnesota.
Michigan State: The Spartans are just 1 of three teams to not bring back a starting QB and they have also lost their top 4 pass catchers from last year. They do have a top notch OL and their top RB returns, but still this group will not be able to match last years 31 ppg they put up. They will have to rely on their defense this year and it is a good one. With 8 starters back and the best DL in the Big 10 this group has a chance to be one of the top 5 defenses in the nation. They have road dates at Michigan and Wisconsin in BB weeks, but get Nebraska and OSU at home, while the rest of the schedule is manageable. If they beat either Michigan or Wisconsin and take care of their home games then they will make a return trip to the Big 10 Title game. KEY TREND—11-2 ATS VS .500 or better opposition the last 2 years.
Nebraska: The Huskers are in year two of the Big 10 and are still learning how to play in the big 10. They do have 14 returning starters back this year and have one of the best defenses in the conference, plus an offense that will be potent and average 30+ ppg this year, but their schedule is a concern for the Huskers. They have tough home dates vs Michigan and Wisconsin, plus road dates at Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan State and OSU. Also working against the Huskers is the fact that they are just 2-16 SU in their last 18 meetings with a Top 10 team and they could take on a couple of them within the conference this year. Still look for the Huskers to battle the Michigan and Michigan State all year and if they can navigate the tough schedule, this team certainly has the talent to win the division. KEY TREND—7-1 ATS as road faves of less than 10 points.
Iowa: It’s the top three in the Legends and then the rest and Iowa is the best of the rest. Iowa lost its top RB and top WR and with just 2 starters back along the front they have an inexperienced OL. QB Vandenberg had a good year but the talent at the skill positions it pretty thin for him this year so he could struggle some. The defense was hit hard by graduation with just 5 starters back, including 1 along the front, so I fully expect them to struggle on that side of the ball. Iowa has plenty of solid young recruits coming in, but they are still too inexperienced to make a move up in the standings. KEY TRENDS--- Iowa is 11-0 ATS before Indiana, but 1-6 ATS after playing the Hoosiers.
Northwestern: The loss of super QB Dan Persa will really hurt this squad. They do have 3 back along the OL, but lose their top RB and top two WR’s. QB Kain Colter is a dual threat and filled in nicely till Dan Persa came back. He led the team in rushing and hit 67% of his passes with 6 TD’s and 1 INT. Still they will not put up the 470 ypg and 28.9 ppg they did last year. Defensively it was a long year in 2011 and with just 5 starters back and little depth on that side of the ball it will be a long year again. The Cats are rebuilding and while the Offense will keep them competitive, it will be the defense that could keep them out of a bowl game. KEY TREND--- 15-2 ATS before playing Michigan
Minnesota: The Gophers were 3-9 last year and were outgained by 124 ypg in Big 10 play, so they have a lot of ground to make up. The Offense returns 7 starters and will be more effective than last years group that averaged 18 ppg and 310 ypg. Defensively is where this group will struggle again. Last year they allowed 403 ypg and 32 ppg and while 6 starters return they must still replace their top 2 tacklers and 6 of their top 11 overall. The Gophers will be a more competitive team in Jerry Kills second year, but they are still to far behind the rest of the division to move up. KEY TREND--- 1-7-1 ATS the last 9 at Iowa.
-$25 of picks FREE! No Obligation - No Credit Card Required - Becoming a member is Fast and Free!
-Fan of sports betting? Enter the free $10,000 Match Marco MLB Contest and take a shot at winning anywhere from $500.00 all the way up to a Grand Prize of 10k!
Golden Nuggets 2012 Games of Year College Football Spreads
Pregame.com Pros Scott Spreitzer & Bryan Leonard discuss the Golden Nuggets' 2012 College Football Games of Year betting!